That Which Is Precious
by Mistress Slytherin
Summary: Harry has lost everything to the war, someone decides to step in and give him another chance, will he heal in this new and strange world?
1. Chapter 1

**Mwahahahahahaaaa! I finished it! This is going to be book one of two books I have literally written this in three days omg I'm going crazy! Anyway! After taking a few deep breaths- you guys have no idea how determined I was to finish this! I will post a new chapter every day for the next mmmm...two weeks? Two in a half weeks? That sounds about right, however I will now be taking a break before I start the next book. Keep in mind that these are going to be short books. I sort of hit a writers block in my other Harry Potter series so I dipped into this one hoping to clean out my brain so that I can continue, so it is not my top priority. However there will be a second book have no fear- it just might take a few weeks to get to. Wish me luck and I hope you enjoy this!**

**Mistress Slytherin  
**

**General warnings apply,  
**

**Homosexual relationship**

**Blood  
**

**Mature themes  
**

**And I do not claim any of these characters or themes!  
**

**Happy reading!  
**

-1-

Forty-two year old Harry Potter narrowed his gaze at his superior officer suspiciously. In all his years working for the Unspeakable's office he'd never received an assignment this… ambiguous. And considering that he worked in a sect that thrived on things that were out of the normal realm of possibilities? It was certainly saying something about this mission. His superior sighed quietly.

"I came to you because no one else would accept this mission." He said finally. Harry nodded slowly. Of course they wouldn't have accepted, but he wasn't just anyone which made him wonder why they hadn't come to him in the first place, he was known for his willingness to brave imminent danger to seek the truth. Something in the man's eyes though…

"That's a lie." He said narrowing his own gaze. The man stiffened. Harry was just as good at determining emotions and motives as this man was at hiding them. "The people that did accept this mission- have either died or have not returned." He said knowingly. The war had changed his perceptions on life; it had hardened him, taught him to look beyond what was directly in front of him-

_Look at me…_

-lest he lose someone precious because of his own foolishness. His superior officer's lips turned into a grim line of acceptance.

"There is a great chance that you will not return from this mission." He agreed with a steady nod. Harry could read in between lines and emotions, to him, even the most closed minds were open books.

"You needed someone that would not be missed." He said knowingly. Ten years ago his ties with the golden trio had been cut; he had no social ties of any kind and was a noted recluse. It wasn't his fault really, no one could understand what the war had done to him and he didn't seek help for it. He managed by becoming an Unspeakable, the only profession that would allow him an outlet. He wasn't suited for normal living any more- in fact he doubted that he ever had been 'normal' in any sense of the word.

"Yes." The man said evenly faint lines of stress creasing around his eyes. Harry nodded knowingly.

"Ever since the minister's daughter fell through the veil he's been pressuring this department to find a way to retrieve her." He said easily. "Agents have been working round the clock to find a hole and have come up with nothing- the veil is ever as mysterious as the day it was placed in the death chamber nearly four hundred years ago." He said the cogs in his mind whirring critically. His superior officer smiled faintly.

"Leave it to you to figure out that much by yourself, I really do hate the fact that I have to send my best man on this mission." He said shaking his head. Harry nodded accepting the compliment for what it was.

"I'm not finished with my work in the Neuroscience department." He said easily. That particular department had been his area of expertise for three years running now and he'd almost become accustomed to being surrounded by floating brains and the like. The officer nodded.

"This mission takes precedence." He said crisply. Harry nodded and set the scroll down.

"When do I leave?"

#$%#$%#$%#$%#$%$#$%

Harry stood in front of the two story house for a long while before the door finally opened and Hermione stepped out her lips drawn into a grim sad line. "Aren't you coming in Harry?" She said warily. Harry nodded slowly and stepped past the threshold. He hadn't seen his friend for a long while- and time had not been kind to her it seemed. Four children and a full-time position in research development had lead to her rather plump physique as well as the lines in her face and the graying beginning in her hair.

"I was surprised when the hand on the clock registered that you were here." She said calmly her gaze inquisitive. He glanced at the clock in question where his name was pointing to 'home' and his throat tightened slightly.

"Where's Ron?" he asked cautiously. Ron's reaction to his decision to distance himself from them had been explosive to say the least. Hermione's lips twitched downwards slightly.

"Working." She said her eyes growing suspicious. Harry nodded and took a moment to glance around. Everything in this house was different from the last time he'd been here except for the clock- and the small framed photo on the mantle. Without preamble he crossed the room and picked it up. It was a picture of the three of them, taken before the war when they were all innocent children- though even here his eyes were a shade darker than they should have been.

"It's hard to believe isn't it?" Hermione said perceptively. Harry's hand absently lifted to his face as he caught sight of his reflection. His eyes were dead, his expression stony- but worst of all was that age had not touched him. He still looked seventeen, the age he'd been when the horcrux had been torn from him. The fact that he wasn't aging had been the last thing they'd noticed after the war. His stoicism was the first. He was empty, a chasm unable to feel anything other than the most potent of emotions, like grief for example. But it hadn't been long before he himself noticed that he was remaining exactly as he had been while others aged. It was this that led him to the unspeakables in the first place.

The horcrux that had bound its self to him had rendered him ageless, the combination of phoenix tears and Basilisks venom had cursed him with an exceedingly long lifespan. He was for all intents and purposes immortal. "I will be going on a mission." He said at last setting down the picture to face Hermione. He owed them this at least. She nodded slowly a frown on her face as fear began to build in her eyes. "There is a good chance that I will not be returning." He said confirming her fears. She knew that his job was dangerous, but he had never warned her away like this before. She opened her mouth to speak but choked on the words as tears spilled down her cheeks. He shifted uncomfortably; he couldn't handle emotions very well especially after living without them for as long as he had.

"If I had the chance." Hermione said through grit teeth. "I would kill Voldemort all over again for what he did to you- to all of us!" She growled finally giving in and bursting into tears. "You're not the Harry I love- but at the same time you are, gods Harry I'm so sorry!" She cried burying her face in her hands. Harry frowned uncomfortably.

"Mione?" Ron's voice rang clearly and Harry stiffened as his long time friend came around the corner his eyes flickering between them before becoming accusing.

"I should go." Harry said uncomfortably. "I just thought- that you should know." He said before slipping past Ron and out the door his chest suddenly gripped in agonizing pain.

He still had one more place to visit.

#$#$#$#$#$

"Ah, so the illustrious Harry Potter finally lowers himself to visit us common folk!" Came the snide tone. Harry felt his lips twitch upwards slightly in response. Once upon a time this man would have filled him with rage, anger, grief, hatred, and so many other emotions he didn't care to look at. Now there was only vague grief and sorrow.

"Snape." He said with a slight tilt of his head. Dark eyes narrowed slightly from where he stood in his portrait and a second voice drifted through the air.

"So it's true then." Albus Dumbledore's voice said sounding tired and sad. Harry gazed at the portrait and noted the absent twinkle that was usually present in the man's eyes. "Tom has taken your most precious attributes to the grave with him." He said peering at him grimly. Harry nodded.

"And you have not aged." Snape said pursing his own lips.

"What brings you here my dear boy?" Dumbledore said softly. Harry frowned slightly.

"Goodbyes I suppose." He said carefully. He was never quite certain why he did things like this.

"Going on vacation are we?" Came Snape's dry tone. Harry shook his head at first and then nodded slightly.

"I suppose you could call it that- the kind that I won't be returning from in all likelihood." He said cryptically. Both Portraits became still and both sets of eyes were suddenly boring into him.

"Planning to die are we?" Snape said tightly. Harry didn't know how to answer that so instead he shrugged causing the man to sneer. "Well then?" He said demanding an answer.

"I don't know if I am capable of death." He said evenly. "But I've been told that I may not be able to return never the less. I felt that for Harry's sake I should say goodbye to the people he loved." He said pointedly looking at Snape who reared back in shock.

"Loved?" Dumbledore said his eyes twinkling brightly. Harry turned his gaze away from Snape and nodded.

"Yes." He said softly. "Though I probably wouldn't admit to it if it weren't for the fact that I am incapable of emotions such as embarrassment any more." He said tilting his head to the side in mild confusion. Dumbledore snorted and turned to Snape with a smirk.

"And you said you were incapable of being loved." He said smugly. Snape snapped out of whatever daze he'd fallen in and glared heatedly at the both of them before turning his back on them decidedly. Harry cocked his head to the side and smiled faintly. "The world was deprived of something truly precious the day you were stripped of your emotions dear boy." Dumbledore said sadly. Harry however was still gazing at Snape a sharp pang rippling through him causing him to grip his chest reflexively.

"Something truly precious." He repeated blankly his breathing oddly tight. "Snape." He said softly but firmly. The man remained ridged and Harry felt himself tremble. "Look at me." He said quietly unaware of the tears that had filled his eyes for the first time in years. The man stiffened impossibly more before slowly turning his gaze unreadable and yet to Harry entirely understandable. He fell into onyx eyes and allowed himself the briefest well of true impossible love. "Thank you." He said quietly a small true smile crossing his lips before he quickly retreated from the room leaving the last bit of himself behind for both men to ponder for many years to come.

#$%#$%#$%#$%

Unspeakables lined the walls of the death chamber as he stepped into the room. "They wanted to give you their respect." Said his superior officer. "Your sacrifices to this world are well known to anyone who's ever seen you." He said with a nod. Harry glanced around the room.

"Thank you." He said softly unable to offer them more as he stepped onto the platform remembering once again an old ache as the memory of Serious Black flashed before his mind's eye.

"Good luck Potter." His superior officer said softly his stance rigid. Harry nodded absently before staring into the abyss of the veil drawn forward by the whispered voices.

_Yes…come child..._

_This is not your place any more..._

_Come to us…_

And then he was stepping through the veil and into a world of darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

**As promised I will be posting a new chapter each day!  
**

**Mistress Slytherin  
**

**General warnings apply,  
**

**Homosexual relationship**

**Blood  
**

**Mature themes  
**

**And I do not claim any of these characters or themes!  
**

**Happy reading!  
**

-2-

When he opened his eyes there was nothing to see. There was no light, no darkness, just _nothing_ which in its self was inconceivable.

**_Harry_**

The voice was ageless like a thousand whispers rolled into one.

**_Harry?_**

It repeated sounding slightly amused.

"Yes?" he said softly.

**_You have suffered for a long time haven't you?_**

The voices whispered surrounding him.

"I don't know." He said shaking his head- only to realize that he didn't have one, a body either for that matter.

**_You have, we know it, we have seen it._**

The voice said easily.

**_We will free you of this burden; we will give you all that you have lost._**

The voice said decisively.

**_You have been given an ill fated card; we cannot stand by any longer._**

Harry if possible would have frowned. He didn't understand a thing.

"I'm here to retrieve the Minister's daughter." He said slowly.

**_The moment you entered she was returned._**

The voice said softly.

"Then my mission is complete." He said easily.

**_You will not be returning to that world._**

The voice said quietly.

"What do you want of me?" he said somehow understanding that his being brought here was intentional.

**_To give you another chance Harry Potter _**

**_To give you life and love and laughter once more_**

**_You will be given to a new world, a world where there is no such thing as magic._**

**_However you have magic._**

Harry tried to discern if he was still listening to the same voice or many voices as the tone and pitch changed and flowed.

**_You cannot have magic in this world._**

**_So you will be given something else _**

**_Gifts that are similar yet entirely different._**

**_And emotions_**

**_Yes emotions, though they are not as strong as we wish_**

**_The curse the dark lord has set upon you transcends even our ability to fix_**

**_Good luck Harry Potter_**

**_Live well_**

And suddenly he was spinning and jerking this way and that noise filling him like a high pitched whistle- there was a pain, sharp stabbing impossible pain in his chest-

And then it was over.

Until his back hit the ground and he found himself staring up into a starry sky as the sounds of panicked shouts and city life surrounded him- and then he passed out.

#$#$#$#$

Harry had never been one to sleep well; experiences in his life had ensured that, so when he did wake his eyes heavy from slumber he knew instinctively that something was wrong.

He panicked.

His eyes shot open and his body shot off the bed feet stumbling away from the sharp pain that had just pressed into his arm. Away form the nurse who was staring at him in complete shock- sending a pitcher of water and a tray of metal instruments crashing to the floor as machines beeped wildly. He stared in horror at the wires and tubes that were attached to him and began tugging at them in terror, eyes wide and heart pounding as his breathing came in sharp gasps- until one very important fact made it's self known to his foggy mind.

He was panicking.

He was feeling emotion.

Tears welled in his eyes and dripped down his cheeks causing him to freeze and stare at them.

He was _alive_.

He sank to the ground and let out a great shiver his entire body trembling.

Absently he heard thundering footsteps that halted just inside the doorway as he stared blankly at the saline droplets sitting in his upturned palms. The nurse shushed the two men by the doorway before cautiously approaching him.

"Sir? Do you know where you are?" She asked her voice soothing. Harry looked up slowly and let out a shuddering breath. He looked at the monitors- the railed bed and upset tray.

"Hospital." He croaked hesitantly. Slowly his memory returned to him and he realized just why he was in a decidedly muggle hospital.

"Very good, can you tell us your name?" She said softly. Harry frowned slowly. For the longest time he'd had no name, working with the unspeakables meant that his name was never spoken.

"Harry." He said in relief. If what the voices had said was true and there was no magic here, then no one would know his name or what it meant. "Harry Potter." He said relaxing slightly. The nurse, a middle aged woman with cropped brown hair and kind eyes nodded slowly a small smile crossing her lips as she too relaxed.

"Very good Mister Potter, do you think you can stand? I need to clean you up and inform the authorities that you are awake." She said slowly as if speaking to a cornered animal- which he supposed he rather resembled at the moment. He frowned at the thought of dealing with the police though.

"Yeah…" he said slowly blinking dazedly. "Yeah hang on." He said carefully disentangling himself from the wires and climbing shakily to his feet. One of the two men at the door came forward and he flinched back a jolt of fear and panic rushing through him before he could rationalize that they only wanted to help. The man rose both eyebrows and held up his hands in surrender slowly taking a step back visibly. Harry eyed him before carefully moving towards the bed.

He didn't like that he felt so weak right now.

He was in an unfamiliar place and had no magic to protect himself while being as weak as a newborn deer- it was not encouraging to say the least.

#$#$#$#$#

July 1st 2002

Harry stared at the date for a long while still unable to fully comprehend that he had been thrown into what he could only assume was an alternate universe of some sort. His first few weeks had been spent dealing with the authorities who were more than suspicious when they realized that there was no record of him at all whatsoever in their databases. After extensive questioning he'd been placed under surveillance and hesitantly given a new identity. They'd been even more suspicious after he'd taken and aced the academic exams he'd been given- but what could they do? As far as they knew he was just a seventeen year old boy. He had no parents, no identity and was unwilling to tell them anything more than his name and supposed age.

Harry Potter, age seventeen blood type O positive.

A minor with no history that they had no choice but to put into the system and offer a home to.

That was all he was here, and he couldn't have been happier for it.

Of course 'happy' was a relative term. When his emotions came back so did the grief of knowing how much his apathy had frightened and hurt his only friends. And the reality that he'd actually gone and effectively _told_ Snape that he'd loved him all along. He was also finally able to mourn for the loss of those who had died in the war- it was as if all his sorrow had been locked up and was now freed.

He felt like an emotional wreck.

Tiredly he rubbed the grit from his eyes and passed the newspaper to his 'foster father' a middle aged man who didn't speak much and tended to ignore all the children running around him. His 'foster mother' Diana reminded him of Molly Weasley with all her yelling and mothering but Harry had to admit that the change, while overwhelming was welcome. He was prone to long stretches of silence and preferred to keep to himself though he did help with the other foster kids whenever possible thinking of Ron and Hermione's children- children he'd been robbed of the chance of loving.

"Harry dear it's time for school!" His foster mother called out. Harry refrained from grinding his teeth in annoyance. School was a necessary evil it seemed. No matter that he'd scored at a masters level in college and proved to have an IQ that was above average, for the first year at least while all the paperwork went through, he would be required to attend high school like any other seventeen year old. Sighing slightly he swept his bag over his shoulder and with a soft goodbye slipped out the door.

#$#$#$#$

"Transfer…to America?" He said cocking his head to the side slightly as he stared at the councilor in shock. The man nodded slightly a small smile on his face.

"Every year we send transfer students to America who show promise. You were chosen partly because of your diplomatic nature and partly because they have a program that is quite a bit more advanced." He said turning to look at Harry's social worker for back up. Grayson, a squat man with a critical gaze and few words nodded easily.

"Your paperwork is taking some time to be processed because of how little information there is on you, it's sent up red flags in more than one department you see." He said with a slight smile. "However, I saw your scores and your teachers have all requested that you be placed in advanced classes. Legally, sending you to America as a transfer student is the only way that we can hope to have you placed in advanced classes." Harry nodded perceptively.

"In other words, politically speaking, sending me over there will make England look good. Certain departments will then be pressured into processing the paperwork faster by choice politicians correct?" He said cocking his head to the side. Both men nodded knowingly.

"You will be provided with your own apartment while you are there which I am sure will be a welcome relief and an allowance for food and the like." The councilor said smiling widely. Harry frowned.

"Don't transfer students stay with their classmate's families?" He asked cocking his head to the side. Both men smirked at this.

"There might have been a few strings pulled." His social worker noted. Harry gazed at them warily.

"And the price for said strings being pulled?" He said tapping his fingers knowingly. The social worker winced slightly.

"Things have been…tense lately with the UN, America and the UK aren't getting along as well as we would like. Unofficially you will be sent as a liaison to the LAPD, you should expect that things will be a bit…hostile at first." He said hesitantly. Harry stared at the man for a long moment before nodding.

"I knew you were working undercover as surveillance on me but just how far up are you?" He said cautiously. The social worker seemed to still his expression one of pure shock and then wary curiosity.

"What gave me away?" He said causing the councilor to blink at him in shock. Harry shrugged idly.

"Nothing really, you did your job well it's just that I knew that someone with no background whatsoever and an IQ greater than Einstein's wouldn't simply be left alone. I figured that someone was watching me and who better to check up on me than a social worker?" He said making it seem as though there was more but that he wasn't going to say it. Hopefully he could trick the man into giving him information he wasn't intended to know- it was a tactic that unspeakables sometimes used.

"Councilor would you mind giving us a moment?" The would-be social worker said tightly. The councilor glanced between them briefly.

"Certainly, of course- well yes.." He stuttered making a hasty exit. Once the door shut the agent stood and spoke.

"Think of it from our perspective mister Potter. A young man falls out of the sky quite literally I might add- with nothing but a name and a level of intelligence far greater than average. The very same young man claims that his name is Harry Potter- a very common and unremarkable name that tells us _nothing_ about your origins. Now think if you will what I would see as I get to know you better." He said narrowing his eyes slightly. "I've been working in the field for over twenty five years; I know what a trained man looks like when I see one." He said forcefully. Harry pursed his lips and nodded.

"I can't tell you anything more than I've already told you." He said absolutely.

"Which is where we have a problem- so, we placed you in foster care and kept a _very_ close eye on you until we could decide what to do with you." The man said.

"Only you couldn't quite figure out what to do with me." Harry acknowledged. "So you're sending me away in hopes of either provoking me to make a move that you can handle or at least to get me out of the country. You think that I was once undercover- that's the only explanation you can find as to the reason for the lack of a paper trail. Who else could wipe a person off the face of the earth like that?" He said nodding. It all made sense now that he thought about it.

"Think of it as a new start, a new mission as it were. Succeed and your documents will be processed quickly with the added benefit of having legal documents such as where you attended school and the like." He said with a nod. Harry processed the information thoughtfully. Why not? Wasn't his purpose to start over? And he had no doubt that he would be acting as the muggle version of an unspeakable, which was his chosen profession.

"I'll bite." He said with a nod. "As long as these legal documents you procure place me at the most reputable of schools as well as give me a diploma from Oxford University." He said smiling thinly. The social worker twitched but nodded.

"That sounds workable, any other stipulations?" he said tightly. Harry shook his head.

"Not really but I'll let you know if I think of any." He said idly. The agent nodded sharply and held out his hand.

"Well then Mister Potter, welcome to the agency."


	3. Chapter 3

**As promised I will be posting a new chapter each day!  
**

**Mistress Slytherin  
**

**General warnings apply,  
**

**Homosexual relationship**

**Blood  
**

**Mature themes  
**

**And I do not claim any of these characters or themes!  
**

**Happy reading!  
**

-3-

Harry glanced around curiously as he stepped into the airport lobby. In all his work as an Unspeakable he'd never traveled to the Americas. He quirked his eyebrow slightly at the fashion trends of the youth here. Vibrant colored hair, baggy clothing, piercings, tattoos- Merlin and they called _him_ strange for having long hair! At least _his_ trousers were up around his hips where they belonged! And their English! Merlin they were butchering it with every syllable- he could only imagine what Snape would have said about-

"Harry Potter?" A man said drawing his attention away from the crowds. Harry winced internally at the group of men that had come to greet him. They practically _screamed_ agents with their tight suits and dark sunglasses.

"That would be me." he said smiling in as disarming a way as possible. It would be best for these people to underestimate him, at least in the beginning, they would be more prone to sharing information with a hapless seventeen year old than with a hardened agent. Visibly the men seemed to relax.

"Welcome to Las Angeles." The man who had spoken earlier said extending his hand in greeting. Harry took it willingly and accepted the gesture.

"I hope I didn't cause any trouble, I didn't think they would send so many of you out just to pick me up." He said scratching the back of his head in a nervous gesture. The more he spoke the more the men seemed to relax their defenses.

"Well, we could hardly believe it when the chief said that they were sending a high school kid to assist _us_!" The man said with a laugh. Harry winced slightly.

"I think they just wanted to get me out of their hair for a while." Harry said with a shrug. "It bothers some of the higher ups when a guy like me beats them at their own game." He said haplessly. The man frowned but nodded warily all the same.

"Well, how do you like America so far?" The man said leading him to the baggage claim. Harry gave the man an odd look.

"So far? Really crowded airports." He reported before catching sight of a mohawk. "And very strange fashion sense." He added. The agent turned to glance at what he was looking at and let out a short laugh.

"Agreed on both points! Now, lets just get your bags-" he said motioning to the two men behind him who grabbed his bags- it was not lost on Harry that they knew what they looked like without having to ask him- which told him that they had probably been thoroughly searched. "And get out of this crowd!" he said cheerfully. Harry nodded and followed them out unsurprised to see a car waiting for them.

An hour later as horns honked and drivers flipped each other off due to the traffic Harry began to understand why Americans seemed to have anger issues.

"Sorry about this, we were hoping to beat rush hour traffic." One of the agents nearly whined. "Do you people get bad traffic?" he asked absently. Harry silently bristled at the 'you people' part but didn't show it.

"I suppose so." He said calmly wincing as a driver in the car next to them lifted a sign bearing the words 'fuck you!' in large black lettering. "Though I'm nearly certain that our cursing is a bit more original." He added with a slight sneer. The officer beside him burst into peals of laughter.

#$%#$%#$%#$%#$%

Harry looked around at his studio slowly his eyes already pinpointing the various hidden cameras and listening devices that he would have to disable. A pang of sorrow went through him as he looked at the cold plastic clock on the wall- he could still remember seeing his name on the clock in Hermione's kitchen pointing at the word 'home' as if he belonged there. Voldemort had stolen every chance of happiness he'd had from him from the day that his parents had been murdered. With a sigh he rolled his bag into the small bedroom. This place didn't feel like home, it was cold and sterile, but until he completed what ever task they wanted him to help with this was where he would live. Shaking his head he went about unpacking, noticing for the first time that all of the things he'd picked out since arriving in this world were in drab grays, blacks and blues.

He stared at the shirt in his hand for a long moment a rush of rage pouring through him.

Voldemort had taken _everything_ from him.

He didn't even know who he was any more!

His hands shook slightly.

He had to think.

What would Snape do?

His eyes shot open.

What would Snape do…

How long had he been thinking like that?

He shook his head refusing to allow the memory to resurface. Snape would move on, he would learn to make the best of his situation and get what he could out of the people who held power around him.

A flash of dark eyes in his memory made him inhale sharply.

_Look at me._

Tears poured down Harry's cheeks before he could stop them. Suddenly the dark clothes made sense, ever since the war he had been operating on the only emotions he had left- guilt, grief, and his love and loss for Severus Snape.

He gasped as an electric current filled him and the lights flickered around him. He stared wide-eyed at the clock which was blinking at him.

What on earth was _that?_

#$#$#$#$##$

Harry entered the office easily causing Marks- the man supposedly in charge of him to frown and stand glancing at the box in Harry's arm. Harry smiled slightly and set it down on the desk sliding it across the glass surface with an indulgent smile.

"Really? I thought that sort of surveillance was illegal in this country." He said sitting calmly. Marks peered into the box and his jaw went slack in surprise.

"How did you-" Then he frowned his head snapping up. "How did you get in here at all, we haven't even given you your ID yet." He said suspiciously. Harry shrugged.

"I told you, I'm good at what I do." He said idly. The man looked at him for a long moment before nodding seemingly to himself.

"You knew that we were testing you." He said cautiously. Harry nodded.

"I would have been surprised if you just let me on the team without proof." He said with a nod. Marks stared at him for a long moment before standing.

"Follow me." he said with a jerk of his head. Harry stood and followed the man out of the room and down the hall and then into the elevator. "When the UK told us they were sending someone to help we thought they were insulting us by sending a seventeen year old kid." He said stiffly. Harry nodded.

"Understandable." Harry said as the elevator doors opened and they got off..

"Apparently not to every one." The man said sounding annoyed as he directed them down another hallway before stepping in front of a door and placing his hand on the key pad for ID. Harry frowned cautiously at the man's tone and followed him through several more heavily guarded doors before finally stepping into what appeared to be a meeting. Harry's first response was to crouch as easily thirty hands went to guns. Marks pursed his lips together and lifted his chin his own hand relaxing from his holster. Harry watched avidly as others moved their hands to a more neutral position before slowly standing his gaze flickering around the room suspiciously.

"Marks?" An older man that was standing at the front of the room greeted his own eyes wary. Marks glanced at Harry.

"Harry, meet your new team- you'll be working with the FBI until this case is solved, Steve Mason will be your superior officer." He said crisply. Harry nodded slowly his eyes still scanning the room skeptically. Visibly he forced himself to relax into a slight slouch and rose a hand in greeting.

"Hello, my name is Harry Potter." He said with a shy smile. Marks snorted beside him.

"Don't believe the innocent act." He warned crossing his arms. Harry wrinkled his nose slightly.

"Oh come on, you can't still be mad about the cameras can you? I returned them to you in working order didn't I?" he said lifting his chin. Marks gave him a blank stare. Harry slowly allowed his features to shift giving the man a cold look of his own allowing some of the deadness to creep into his eyes. "I'm here to help Marks." He said coolly. "Whether you like it or not I was assigned to help you people which means we will be working in close quarters, as a team. I already told you that I am capable of the task assigned to me so stop treating me like the bad guy because that won't help any one." He said crossing his arms his gaze firm. Like hell he was backing down to this guy, he'd faced a fucking dark lord, this guy was like an annoying tick compared to him.

"Excellent." The man in front of the room said lifting his own chin a slight smile on his lips. "Now get out Marks, your pettiness is stinking up my conference room." He said his expression falling. Marks turned red before sneering and slipping out of the room. "Potter was it?" Harry stiffened and nodded sharply. "Welcome to the team, I was just about to begin if you would take a seat?" He said in a way that vaguely reminded him of Dumbledore. Harry nodded and took the seat closest to the door causing a few of the agents to relax their annoyed looks.

"Now, as I was saying." Mason said. "On July 22nd LAPD received a crossword puzzle." He said pointing his remote to a large screen which showed said crossword puzzle. "Who thought it was a gag and didn't do anything about it, until July 31st" he said clicking the remote again revealing a picture of a thin man with a concentrated look on his face. "Believe Bridesmaid, a freelance writer who was found brutally murdered in his apartment-"

Harry listened intently to the reports his mind flickering from thought to thought as the meeting went on.

"Mister Potter any thoughts?" Mason asked eventually. Harry frowned at having been picked out but nodded.

"The murderer created a crossword puzzle to give clues about his murder before the event took place- he is either narcissistic…or toying with us which I believe to be the case. He enjoys the challenge, he's seeking attention and he also has above average intelligence. I would venture a guess though that he isn't the type to simply watch- he'll want to somehow integrate himself into this case so he can watch first hand." He said narrowing his eyes critically in thought.

"Watari." Harry jumped at the computerized voice and watched as a tall older gentleman turned a laptop around displaying a large Gothic L. Harry frowned. In his time in this world he'd been unable to do any background research other than the daily news paper, even then though he'd heard of L. "Mister Potter was it?" The voice said. Harry nodded slowly. "You have made the same deductions that I have, however, in doing so you have placed yourself in a precarious position." Harry nodded, he was afraid of that.

"I arrived in America for the first time just yesterday; I was no where near LA on the twenty second of July or the thirty first." He said cautiously.

"And in May? Where were you then?" The voice said causing Harry to become very still.

"That has nothing to do with this case." Harry said softly. There was a long pause.

"True. However, it is a curious mystery on its own, one which I assure you I will unravel." Harry nodded shortly.

"You can try, however once again it has nothing to do with this case." He repeated.

"He is right L." Steve Mason said firmly. "And his deductions are quite accurate as far as I'm concerned- Miss Misora?" he said as a hand shot up in the back. A tall fiery Japanese woman turned a narrow eyed look at Harry.

"How can you be certain that it was a man that did this and not a woman?" She demanded with a lift of her chin. Harry returned her gaze levelly.

"The percent of male murderers is greater than female murderers. Aside from that if it was a woman the murder would have been far more violent- and personal. If it was a woman we would know it and she would make sure that we knew." He said softly. Bella's laughter echoed in his mind and he winced as the lights flickered in the room before he could calm himself. It seemed that these…powers if you could call it that used his emotions as an outlet if he didn't use them often enough.

"Curious." The mechanic voice said softly. The agents who had been distracted by the flickering lights turned towards the laptop.

"Care to share?" Steve Mason said dryly.

"No" Came the absent response. Mason twitched slightly.

"Right then lets move on shall we?"


	4. Chapter 4

**As promised I will be posting a new chapter each day! And as for some of you who got a bit upset about the woman comment in the last chapter I mean no offense I am a woman myself, I added that part in last moment because I needed Naomi Misora on the team some how. I meant to go back and fix it however I completely forgot about it by the time I got to the end. Normally I do at least a little bit of research before saying something like that however like I said before I totally forgot about that scene. Anyway, happy reading!  
**

**Mistress Slytherin  
**

**General warnings apply,  
**

**Homosexual relationship**

**Blood  
**

**Mature themes  
**

**And I do not claim any of these characters or themes!  
**

**Happy reading!  
**

-4-

Harry stared at the pencil on the coffee table for a moment before focusing. Immediately the pencil began to float as if he were using magic again. But this world had no magic, was this what the voices had meant when they'd said that he would obtain other gifts? Frowning he let the pencil drop and focused on the table beneath it. It seemed like it was too easy though it was as if he was using magic without having to know the theory behind it. He'd known for a long time that it was the book smart stuff that had kept him from excelling in Hogwarts. He just didn't have what it took to sit down and _read_. Until of course after the war when he had nothing to do but read and learn.

Slowly the table floated back down to the floor and Harry turned his gaze towards the lamp watching it flicker on and off with just a thought.

This didn't need theory- and apparently he didn't need to sit down and read. He frowned at the file folder sitting on his breakfast bar.

That was the newest development.

When Steven had given him the folder Harry had felt a tingle go up his arm. It felt like getting shocked only that most certainly wasn't the case. The moment his fingertips had touched the folder he knew the contents by heart without ever opening it. Slowly he stood and made his way over to a large box of books he'd ordered online. He'd never read these books and had chosen them at random yet-

He frowned when he cracked the first book open and his suspicions were confirmed- he already knew the book cover to cover.

"Merlin Snape I can't even be normal in this world can I?" he muttered to himself.

#$#$#$#$

Harry sighed slightly as he approached the large building. High school- until he completed this mission it was a necessary evil. He ignored the many stares and avoided confrontation as he made his way to the main office.

"Name?" The harried looking woman said behind the front desk.

"Harry Potter." he said cautiously. "I'm a transfer-"

"Student yes of course!" The woman said giving him a brief smile before sticking her head into one of the side offices. "Chan could you help Potter here find his classes?" She said before darting into another room and returning with a pile of books and a manila folder.

"Yeah, sure." A young Asian kid with cropped hair and an awkward smile stepped out of the office setting down a box. "You can call me Andrew by the way." He said holding out a hand to Harry. "I'm vice president on the student counsel." He said as Harry shook his hand and accepted his books. Chan meanwhile flipped open the folder and glanced at the time table. "Right J hall first." He said eyeing the pile of books. "We can put those in your locker while I show you around." Harry nodded slowly and followed the boy out of the office.

Harry sighed as the books jostled in his arms and an influx of information flashed through him- well, he wouldn't be needing those after today would he?

"Let's see locker 124…here it is." Chan said before looking back at the card he mumbled out the numbers and Harry frowned when he realized that he wouldn't be needing the card either- he'd already memorized those numbers.

Harry spent the majority of the first morning being introduced to bored looking students and teachers. Chan, he'd come to realize was an awful gossip and Harry found that he knew more about the sex lives of the students here than he did about the classes he would be taking by the time they were done. Harry was nearly glad to be rid of the boy when he was finally allowed to attend his class- which since he already knew the material he spent the majority of trying to ignore curious glances.

"So you're from England?" one of the girls spoke up just as soon as they were divided into groups. Harry sighed inwardly.

"Yes." He said quietly. She stared at him for a long time expecting something more, Harry wrinkled his nose slightly as she leaned forward her too low cut shirt showing him _far_ more than he wanted to see.

"What's it like?" She said curiously. Harry grit his teeth and the lights flickered causing some of the girls to squeal. Merlin the drama...

#$#$#$#$#$

By the time Harry was arriving at headquarters his patience had been worn very, _very_ thin. The other agents seemed to notice and a few smirked slightly.

"How was school boy wonder?" One of them said cockily. Harry turned his gaze towards the man.

"Do you have children?" he asked tilting his head to the side. The man frowned but nodded.

"A girl, eleven years old." He said proudly. Harry shook his head wryly.

"How very unfortunate for you" The- _if she is half as vapid is the morons I just spent my day with,_ was silent but implied causing several agents who _did_ have children in high school to nod in sympathy.

"Is school here very much different from school in England?" one of the men asked curiously. Harry sighed and poured himself a cup of coffee.

"The students are just as dramatic and infatuated with each other if that's what you mean." He said taking a sip. Some of the men chuckled slightly.

"Awe come one Potter, there isn't one pretty lady out there that's caught your attention? I remember what being young was like!" One of the men teased.

"You mean Alzheimer's hasn't taken that yet?" Another chimed in causing the men to laugh.

"Er- Potter?" One said upon realizing that Harry hadn't responded. In fact he was gazing forward a dark thoughtful look in his eyes.

"Potter?" Another tried laughing nervously. "Girls Potter?" he questioned. Harry's eyes flickered and so did his eyes.

"No." He said setting his cup down. "No girls." He said his expression shuttered.

"Boys then?" The mechanical voice said breaking the uncomfortable silence. Harry turned and half-heartedly glared at the computer.

"No." he said leaning against the wall.

"What are you asexual?" One of the guys said in disbelief. Harry gazed at him levelly.

"No, not that either." Why the hell not? "The person I love…" He said softly. "-Was murdered- they died in my arms." He said quietly. Silence filled the air and grim knowing looks crossed several faces.

"Shit…I'm sorry Potter." The one that had teased him said sadly. Harry tilted his head to the side.

"Don't worry about it- I killed the monster that did it." He said evenly. A heavy silence followed and several men nodded in acceptance.

#$#$#$#$#$

Harry frowned as the doorbell rang yet again and glanced through the peep hole surprised to see Watari. Cautiously he opened the door. "Watari?" He greeted stepping back to allow the man inside.

"Oh no Mister Potter, I'm in fact here to pick you up, you see L would like you meet you in person." He said with a slight bow. Harry glanced at him suspiciously before nodding.

"Sure just let me grab my coat-" He said leaving the door open as he collected his shoes, coat and gun for good measure.

"You are a very cautious person." Watari noted as he slipped out the door and locked it.

"Why do you say that?" Harry said slipping his keys into his pocket.

"I detect at least twenty different weapons on your person." Watari said as they stepped out of the front gate. Harry stilled both at the man's words and at the sight of the limo sitting in the front driveway.

"You are too." Harry said with a small smile. "Judging by your physique I'd say sniper correct? Yet you also have training in Judo and knife throwing- I see at least sixteen knives on your person." He said smiling slightly at the man's look of shock. Actually he hadn't but like books it seemed that contact allowed him to know tidbits of information about people all he'd had to do was brush his arm against the man on their way down to know what he knew. It was unsettling to say the least.

"Impressive." The man said opening the door for him. Harry blinked in slight shock but slipped into the car freezing when dark eyes caught his. Dark glittering eyes- onyx, veiled- intelligent contrasting sharply with pale skin-

"Snape!" he gasped his arm reaching out desperately only to freeze mid-air as the rest of the man's appearance was made known to him. Hunched over, bare footed, wearing a long sleeve white shirt and baggy _jeans_ of all things. Sorrow hit him like a tidal wave and the limo shook with its intensity causing dark eyes to widen impossibly. Harry took a deep calming breath and snatched his hand back blinking away the tears. The young man barely older than himself lifted his hand and bit thoughtfully on his thumb.

"Interesting." He said softly slightly breathlessly. Harry clenched his jaw. He knew that tone; the computer had used the exact same one the other day.

"L?" He guessed his voice void of all emotion. Dark eyes widened further and Harry looked away a sharp pain twisting in his chest. Now he knew how it must have been like for Snape- to see eyes that he loved in a face that most obviously didn't deserve them.

"Who is Snape?" He demanded curiously. Harry frowned and glared.

"No one of importance to you." He said softly.

"You called me Snape." He said persistently Harry flinched at the sound of the name so carelessly thrown from a strangers lips.

"Why did you call me out?" Harry said trying to change the subject.

"Why did you call me Snape?" Again Harry flinched.

"Stop saying that name." he said slowly trying to reign his temper in.

"Snape." The man said pointedly. Harry flinched and reached for the door but the man was quicker locking it with a swipe of his hand. Harry glared at him.

"What do you want?" He tried again.

"Who is Snape?" The boy said evenly. Harry's jaw ticked.

"Stop saying his name." He requested once more.

"Snape, Snape, Snape-"

Bang!

The door to the car was wrenched from its hinges violently and flew to the ground in a great twisted heap of metal. Harry winced inwardly at his lack of control before calmly stepping out of the car while L was still in a stupor.

"Let me know if you have something important to discuss." Harry said before casually stepping onto the walkway and making his way back to his apartment.

#$#$#$#$#$

Harry sighed tiredly as he made his way up to his apartment. The case was going no where and school was wearing him thin, he'd thought that the novelty of his being British would have worn off by now- apparently not. Almost daily he found himself being stared at in ways that were far from innocent. If only these kids knew how old he really was. He froze as he unlocked the door feeling as though something were off - cautiously he pushed it open his hand on his gun until glittering onyx eyes met his. He took a step forward in desperation before the lights flickered on and the person sitting on the counter came into full view.

"L." He said stiffly his expression falling. Critical eyes were staring at him.

"You did it again." L said frowning. "You thought I was that Snape person." Harry flinched and stepped in closing the door behind him.

"Why are you in my apartment L" He said tiredly. L frowned.

"You tore the door of my car." He said nearly- Merlin was he pouting? How could he have ever confused this man with Severus Snape? The mere thought of the man pouting…he snorted at the image before realizing that he was being silently assessed.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He said lightly.

"Why did you just smile?" L said his eyes narrowed. Harry frowned.

"Smile?" he said cocking his head to the side.

"Yes when I said that you tore the door off my car you smiled- I have been watching you for some time, and this is the first time I've seen you smile." He said biting down on his thumb. Harry frowned slightly before moving to his refrigerator.

"Why are you here L?" he asked again.

"So you smiled because of Snape." L said causing Harry to become still. The lights flickered ominously. "Whenever I ask about Snape you change the subject- you did the same thing when I asked about Snape which leads me to conclude that you smiled because of Snape- oomph!" Harry stared blankly at L who was blinking rapidly from his spot on the floor where a great force had just shoved him.

"Telekinesis!" L said his face lighting up like it was Christmas. Harry twitched.

"Who knew that the words greatest detective was a child." He said with a sneer worthy of Snape. L's gaze darkened in anger and Harry felt himself smirk. "An ill mannered child at that." He added with a tilt of his head- he couldn't however, hold that gaze. Those eyes…

_Look at me…_

"Snape." L quipped from where he sat. Harry inhaled sharply.

"Severus Snape was the name of the man I loved." He said darkly. "He was murdered before my eyes and died in my arms and yet never felt anything more than contempt towards me- are you quite satisfied or would you like to hear the gory details?" he said spinning on his heel to glare down at L. "Would you like to hear how I tried to stop the bleeding? How I was helpless to stop his life from being extinguished? How he begged and pleaded for a lover that was not and never would be _me_?" He hissed roughly. L stared up at him dark eyes wide and startled. It was only then that Harry noticed that things in the room were shaking violently. Pushing aside his emotions he turned back to his small kitchen.

"Get out." He whispered.

"I'm sorry." L said in a childlike voice. Harry glanced back at L.

Eyes like those should belong to a face that would never apologize.

"GET OUT!" He roared sending L flying out of the apartment the door slamming after him. Harry panted heavily his head pounding. Something tickled his palms and he glanced down inhaling sharply- flames surrounded both fists yet didn't burn them. "Great." He muttered sticking them under the faucet darkly. "Just bloody great." He said watching the steam rise.


	5. Chapter 5

**As promised I will be posting a new chapter each day! Happy reading!  
**

**Mistress Slytherin  
**

**General warnings apply,  
**

**Homosexual relationship**

**Blood  
**

**Mature themes  
**

**And I do not claim any of these characters or themes!  
**

**Happy reading!  
**

-5-

Harry sighed as the officer refused to allow him passed the yellow tape. "He's with us!" Misora said holding up her own badge. The officer looked at her in disbelief.

"You've gotta be kidding me, he's just a kid-" Harry held up his own badge.

"Appearances can be misleading." He said in mild annoyance before stepping around the man and following Misora.

"This one is pretty gruesome." Misora noted warily. Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes and stepped into the room taking in the details with a keen eye.

"Blunt force trauma to the head, mutilation to the eyes- are those-?"

"_Wara Ningyo_- straw dolls yes, there are four of them." Came the computerized voice. Harry didn't even bother glancing back.

"He's gotten more violent-" his gloved fingers brushed one of the wounds. "Curious." He said jerking his hand back.

"What's curious?" Misora said impatiently. Harry glanced up at her.

"He is- these killings, he's curious about something his violence isn't pointed, other than the victims odd names they have nothing in common." He said gazing at the slash marks. "He's doing this because he can and because it's _fun_." Harry said wrinkling his nose. "But…" His fingers brushed the girls' forehead. "He focused on her eyes."

_Look at me-_

Harry snatched his hand back.

"Speaking of eyes Mister Potter has refused to meet mine since we've arrived." L said a slight sulk in his voice. Misora frowned slightly.

"Um L? I mean no disrespect sir but you're a computer- you don't have eyes right now." She said scratching her head as if waiting for reprimand.

"Small is the number that can see with their eyes and think with their minds." Harry quoted idly.

"Albert Einstein." L said mechanically. "This girl used glasses and it does seem to be a focus for the criminal in this case but that wasn't the case with Believe Bridesmaid." L noted. Harry nodded slowly.

"This person- is curious, about death." He snorted slightly. "They're always obsessed with death somehow aren't they?" He mused. "Hey L, what would you say if I said I've met death in person?" Harry said tilting his head to the side eyes empty and slightly out of focus. The screen was silent for a moment.

"I would question your mental stability." L said softly. Harry snorted and turned back to the body.

"Death is a bastard, but I did learn one thing." He said picking up one of the straw dolls. "When you look into the eyes of death you learn just how precious life is." He said before dropping the doll and standing.

"Thinking of your beloved Snape again?" L said causing Harry to stiffen.

"L!" Watari scolded.

"Sorry." L said petulantly. Harry frowned and looked at the computer screen for the first time.

"L, do not speak that name again or I swear I will leave this team and return to England." He said lifting his chin.

"Understood. But I must say that I can't help but be jealous." He admitted bluntly. Harry quirked an eyebrow at that.

"Jealous?" he repeated dryly.

"Harry Potter only smiles for that-person-whose-name-I'm-not-allowed-to-say." L said his tone petulant. Harry blinked slowly and a harsh sound erupted passed his lips before another lighter sound, and another- until a deep chuckle turned into full blown laughter.

"Holy flying fuck." Another agent said nearly dropping his camera. "Is Potter…laughing?" He said shaking his head in disbelief. Harry sobered up in an instant blinking slightly in confusion.

"See Harry Potter even laughs for that person!" L accused. Harry snorted and pulled his gloves off.

"Actually L that time it was you." He said tossing his gloves at the screen. "I'll meet you back at headquarters!" He said with an absent wave.

#$#$#$#$

Harry paused his hand on the door handle, something was _wrong_…_really_ wrong. He glanced down at his pocket where his phone sat and debated pressing the panic button before deciding that he was just being paranoid and opening the door. He sagged in relief at the sight of a familiar hunched over form, sitting with his back facing away from Harry.

"You know L, you really should learn to knock." He said tossing his keys into the coin caddy. He dropped his backpack onto the side table and rolled his shoulders absently before moving to the kitchen. "You want something to drink-omph!" Thin arms had wound themselves around his midsection and pale long fingered hands were clutching his shirt tightly as if afraid that he might disappear. He quirked his eyebrow slightly. Somehow he'd pinned L for the anti-touch type.

"Hold me?" His voice was small and childish his shoulders trembling slightly. Harry pursed his lips and turned slowly hesitantly wrapping his arms around the frail form. Harry suddenly wondered if this boy had ever been held. He tightened his grip reflexively and leaned his head against the refrigerator.

"What is it then hmmm?" Harry said gently. The frail body shuddered.

"I'm surrounded by death, it's every where I look-" his voice choked slightly and Harry nodded.

"And you can't stop it; you see blood on your hands when they're clean, you hear their screams in the silence. Their faces haunt your every waking moment and you cling to your last shred of sanity hoping that maybe someday you'll get lucky- that it'll be your turn to die." Harry said softly his heart aching. The body against his was tense hands clutching reflexively at the front of his shirt.

"You-you _know_." He whispered in shock burying his face further into Harry's chest.

"I don't have the answers you're looking for you know." Harry said his voice tight. "And believe me I've looked for them- in the end all I found was madness and death. And believe me when I say that death is a cruel bastard." The shaggy head nodded.

"I believe you." He said softly.

_Riiiiing!_

Harry jumped at the sound of his phone and the body against his tensed pushing closer. "Don't answer it." He said his voice rough. Harry nodded and relaxed.

_Riiiiing!_

_Riiiiing!_

_Riiiii-_

Harry sighed into the silence. "Close your eyes?" A small voice said breaking the silence. Harry frowned slightly before nodding.

"Alright." He said closing his eyes. The body against him shifted and something- warm pressed against his lips. He gasped into the kiss his own eyes flying open in shock. L's eyes were closed, long lashes sweeping across his cheekbones.

"Keep them closed." He whispered. "Pretend that I'm him, the one that you love." He whispered breathily before darting forward and swallowing him into a kiss. Harry stiffened as pain tore through him and tears gathered in the corners of his eyes. Suddenly he was the one being held his heart thundering in his chest as he gave in pressing closer to the warm strong body. He gasped at the pain shooting through his back and smiled wryly against warm lips.

"Yes…if you were him-" He choked slightly copper filling his mouth. "-he would want to hurt me this way." He sobbed tears dripping down his cheeks. "He would want to make me bleed." He whispered his voice little more than a rasp as a tearing sound filled the air and his shirt fell away lips attacking his neck and collar bone. Harry gasped as his legs gave way and he slumped to the floor staring at the red smear on the refrigerator as his head was gently pushed to the side.

"Is this love?" The voice whispered sounding broken. Harry let out a gurgling laugh and a pale face rose to meet his in a steady sensual kiss. Harry winced as the cold steel slid across his skin followed by fingers which paused briefly when they hit a bump. Eyes opened slowly and Harry gasped at the haze of red that hid onyx eyes. Slowly he lifted his hand and cupped the pale cheek.

"I've seen eyes like these before…" He whispered his energy fading fast. Long fingers captured his hand as he slipped weakly. Red eyes stared into his.

"You have? Where!" He demanded but Harry could hardly speak his voice wavering.

"Death…the eyes o-of death-" He jerked and coughed weakly before a dark haze surround him. Vaguely he could hear sirens joining the ringing in his ears- and then something shivered and rippled across his skin and the tears itched and stretched causing him to groan aloud.

"You-" Harry blinked slowly as the sensations dripped away and sighed softly glancing down at the fresh pink scars.

"Sometimes…" he said as the pounding footfalls echoed up the stairs. "no matter how hard you stare into deaths eyes- he'll ignore you." He said as the dark haired stranger stumbled back and towards the window a slow maniacal smile crossing his lips.

"Finally…someone….someone who can't die!" He said letting out a loud hysterical laughter before turning and running headfirst out the glass window. Harry gasped reaching forward only to sway dizzily and fall forward just as the door to his apartment slammed open and officers swarmed in. Harry sighed quietly- he'd lost too much blood…his eyes drifted shut slowly.

_Look…at…me…_

Dark eyes faded from existence,

Suddenly blue eyes were falling…falling silently the light faded the twinkle gone…

_You are loved Harry…so loved..._

Green eyes stared at him in apology as the spell swallowed the life in them…

_I want you to listen to me very carefully, Harry. You're not a bad person. You're a very good person, who bad things have happened to_.

_When all this is over we'll be a proper family. You'll see…_

Gray eyes flashing in shock as they fell backwards falling- falling- falling…

_You'll stay with me?_

_Always_

_Until the end_

_Does it hurt to die?_

_Quicker than falling asleep_

Somehow he knew that he was crying, that tears were slipping hot trails down his unconscious face and that his lips were trembling as he whispered;

"You promised, You promised, You promised…"


	6. Chapter 6

**As promised I will be posting a new chapter each day! And as a side note some of you were confused in the last chapter- that person was B he looks like L so with his back facing Harry he assumed it was L, who has a tendency to randomly appear in his apartment.  
**

**Mistress Slytherin  
**

**General warnings apply,  
**

**Homosexual relationship**

**Blood  
**

**Mature themes  
**

**And I do not claim any of these characters or themes!  
**

**Happy reading!  
**

-6-

It was only a few hours before he woke up but he had no idea that so much had transpired. The tang of bleach was the first thing he noticed and he groaned when his mind made the connection and his body ached loudly as if to prove a point. "Fuck!" he hissed as he struggled to wake up fully. "Who the hell did I piss off this time?" he groaned forcing his body to move so that he could sit up.

"Oh I don't know…it looks more like really kinky sex if you ask me…" Harry froze his hand dropping away from his eyes which had widened in shock.

"You're dead." He rasped.

"Mister Potter lay back down!" A nurse cried out as she turned the corner but Harry was shaking his head tears filling his eyes as he struggled to untangle himself from the bed sheets only to trip on them and fall into strong waiting arms.

"Careful there little prongs." Said the all too familiar voice. Harry trembled as he lifted his gaze his hands coming up to cup the strong jaw.

"You're dead- I saw her kill you, I saw your ghost-" Tears were falling fast as he stared up into sad grey eyes.

"The ones that love us never really leave us." Sirius said softly his own eyes damp.

"And you can always find them in here." Harry said putting his hand over Sirius' heart.

"Yes." Sirius rasped quietly his hand wrapping around Harry's.

"You'll stay?" Harry whispered his lips trembling.

"Until the end." Sirius said quietly. Harry nodded and fell into Sirius' chest letting himself really truly cry for the first time in a very, _very_ long time.

#$#$#$#$

Sirius snorted slightly from where he sat cocking his head to the side as Harry smiled in wry amusement. L sat across from them his eyes darkly rimmed and staring blankly as he rubbed the bottom of on foot across the top of the other a sulk obvious on his lips.

"Harry Potter." He said his lip jutting out further. "Has love bites all over him." He said bluntly causing Sirius to snort loudly behind his hand and Harry rolled his eyes.

"Good observation." Harry said smirking from where he was laying. He really did hate the hospital.

"Is this that person whose name I must not say?" L said pointing at Sirius. Harry tilted his head to the side in confusion and Sirius quirked an eyebrow at him.

"A person whose name you're not supposed to say?" he said pointedly giving Harry a meaningful glance. L nodded slowly.

"If I do Harry gets mad and uses his telekinesis on me." he said pointing an accusing finger at Harry who managed to look innocent.

"I take it we aren't talking about the same he-who-must-not-be-named as I'm thinking right?" Sirius said scratching the back of his head. Harry snorted.

"Exactly and no this isn't him- this is Sirius Black, my godfather." Harry said with a tilt of his head. L brought his thumb to his mouth and bit down slightly before reaching out with his other hand and holding up his laptop.

"But you said he was dead and that other person whose name I'm not allowed to say died too." He said making Harry wince. And then twitch as he caught sight of what was being played on the laptop.

"You…recorded that?" he said annoyed. Sirius sighed slightly as things in the room began to vibrate.

"Harry…" he said softly causing Harry to purse his lips and force himself to calm down.

"You were violently attacked by a known murderer of course you were placed under surveillance." L said setting the laptop down. Sirius snorted slightly.

"Violent _how_?" He said eyeing the marks littering Harry's skin. Harry wrinkled his nose and flushed in embarrassment tugging at his shirt.

"Leave off Siri your just jealous!" Harry said lifting his chin. Sirius let out a bark-like laugh.

"Harry I'm the one that _gives_ those kinds of marks." Sirius said with a wink. "Though I must admit, it does me proud to see my godson with his own badges of honor." He said with a snigger. Harry crossed his arms across his chest but couldn't help his own small smile at seeing Sirius alive and well. When Sirius caught the look he sobered slightly and returned it fondly.

"It's good to see you again Harry." He said reaching out to ruffle Harry's hair fondly. Harry wrinkled his nose and swatted the hand away idly.

"Hmph! Harry laughs with this dead person too!" L said from where he sat his arms wrapped around his knees. Sirius snorted.

"Riiiight, I'm gonna go get some coffee pup, you want anything?" Sirius said standing. Harry smiled knowing the man was giving them a chance to talk about the case.

"Something strong?" He said hopefully. Sirius snorted slightly.

"You are most certainly your father's son." He said shaking his head. "Begging liquor off your godfather- though I guess you're hardly under age now are you?" He said quirking an eyebrow. "You've gotta be what, forty-something?" Harry snorted.

"Tell that to every other bar keep! And what about you? You still look thirty!" he said crossing his arms.

"You sure _look_ seventeen." Sirius defended. "And I've been dead for the last decade, of course I look good!" He said flipping his hair back. Harry snorted. "What's your excuse?" Sirius said quirking an eyebrow.

"I age well." He said causing the man to laugh aloud before slipping out of the room. Harry turned his gaze back to L only to find large dark eyes staring at him far too close for comfort.

"Are you a vampire?" L said his eyes wide with wonder. Harry blinked before snorting.

"Hardly." He said shaking his head.

"But your wounds healed themselves, you have telekinetic powers, and the other dead man just said that you were approximately forty years old." L said with a sulk.

"Forty three this year actually." Harry quipped with a small smirk. L's eyes widened "Besides, I'm not the only one with secrets- you could have told me that you had a twin." Harry said crossing his arms his gaze seriously. L cocked his head to the side.

"Twin?" He said blinking slowly. Harry snorted.

"Uh yeah, the guy that attacked me- he looked just like you!" He said rubbing his neck idly. A slow and admittedly creepy smile crossed L's lips.

"You thought it was _me_?" He said shuffling closer. Harry backed away slowly.

"Er yeah…until he stuck a knife in my back." Harry said flushing slightly in memory. L frowned.

"Are you a masochist Harry?" he asked point blank. Harry stared at L for a long moment in stunned silence.

"No L, he was there when I came in, he looked just like you so I assumed that he was you- not many people break into other people's apartments and squat on their counters you know. We talked- er well mainly I talked-"

"What did you say?" L said cocking his head to the side.

"I was chiding you for not knocking and then I offered you a drink-" He said his voice halting slightly as his memories returned in full force. "He-" Somehow Harry couldn't repeat that moment of weakness when the other L had held him and begged him to embrace him. "We talked about death." He said swallowing thickly. "He told me to close my eyes so I did and he-you kissed me." He said looking away. "He told me to think about Snape to believe that it was him holding me." Harry finished his heart aching, "And then he stabbed me and-" He traced the red marks on his neck and a hand captured his causing him to look up and directly into dark eyes.

"Don't." L said scowling. "Don't think of him or that other person." He hissed leaning closer his eyes demanding. "Think only of me." He said before leaning forward and sealing their lips together. Harry gasped into the kiss and dark eyes glittered challengingly before slipping shut lips pressing insistently against his as a tongue delved past the seam of his lips. Harry shivered as pent up emotions and long dead lust slithered through him. He leaned forward his fingers tangling into dark hair as strong hands held him close-

_Brrrriiiiiiiing!_

Harry gasped as the flashing lights filled the room and winced as he caught sight of the curtains which were quickly burning.

"Damn." He hissed focusing on calming himself causing the flames to die down a bit as the nurses rushed into the room grabbing his pitcher of water and tossing it on the mess.

"What the devil were you doing!" one of them hissed her hands on her hips. Harry managed to look completely innocent.

"Nothing!" He said defensively. "I can't even move here and he was trying to help me sit up!" he said tilting his head at L who was still staring at the curtains his arms wrapped around Harry's back. The nurse frowned and waved her hand in front of her face to wave away the smoke.

"Well, we'll have to move you at any rate-"

"Harry!" Sirius rushed around the corner two cups of coffee in hand. Gray eyes took in the scene before him and his eyebrows climbed his forehead.

"Well damn." He said sending Harry a grin causing him to flush.

"Sirius!" Harry glared snapping L out of his stupor. Harry let out an indignant shout as he was lifted up out of the bed and into L's arms.

"Please direct us to a new room?" L said calmly as if Harry weighed nothing at all. Sirius cracked up nearly spilling the coffee all over himself.

"Jerks." Harry muttered.


	7. Chapter 7

**As promised I will be posting a new chapter each day! I can't remember if I posted one yesterday by the way, I was super busy- like suuuuper busy, so if I forgot in all the chaos to update yesterday I apologize! And as a bit of a side note, this chapter is one of my favorites mainly because I had a blast writing it, I kind of felt like the story had been too dark and depressing for too long. Anyway, Hope you enjoy!  
**

**Mistress Slytherin  
**

**General warnings apply,  
**

**Homosexual relationship**

**Blood  
**

**Mature themes  
**

**And I do not claim any of these characters or themes!  
**

**Happy reading!  
**

-7-

Harry's glared at the nurse in annoyance his arms crossed his stance firm. "Woman I can go to the bathroom on my own!" he said with a sneer. "I don't even know why I'm here! I just suffered a bit of blood loss is all!" He said jutting his chin out.

"He has a point." Sirius said tiredly from where he sat.

"He really does." L agreed from where he was crouched watching the interaction in fascination. The nurse grew red and then slightly purple before huffing and spinning on her heel.

"Fine! Kill yourself!" She said throwing up her arms in annoyance. Harry sighed and slipped into the bathroom to relieve himself.

"Harry pees loudly." L said causing Sirius to snort.

"L is a pervert for listening." Harry responded dryly as he washed his hands.

"Pervert?" L said sounding stunned. "Harry was the one that got so hot and bothered that he set the curtains on fire." He said as if confused. Harry's cheeks burned brightly and Sirius cracked up.

"Shut up you." Harry said glaring at Sirius who only laughed harder. Harry huffed as he made his way back to the bed.

"Three days, you've gotta be kidding me." Harry said in annoyance. Sirius snorted.

"Don't worry pup." He said reaching into his pocket and pulling out several pieces of paper. "Guess what my lawyer dropped off today?" He said with a grin. Harry frowned and took hold of them his eyes filling with shock as he scanned the first page.

"Ad-d-d-d-d-d-d-" Sirius snorted.

"Don't hurt yourself." He teased causing Harry's jaw to snap shut.

"Adoption?" Harry said with wide green eyes.

"I told you didn't I? After the war when everything was over, we'd be a proper family." Sirius said his gaze soft. Harry's eyes welled up with tears.

"War?" L said curiously. Harry glanced over at him and shook his head.

"It's really over isn't it?" Harry said gripping the papers tightly. Sirius ruffled his hair fondly.

"It's all over little prongs." He assured quietly. Harry's lips twitched slowly upwards and slowly into a true smile.

"Ehhhh, the dead man made you smile again!" L accused sticking his bottom lip out. Harry let out a watery chuckle.

"You know I do have a name." Sirius said slightly annoyed. "Try it with me S-ee-r-ee-uuuss!" He said slowly. L wrinkled his nose.

"It sounds better when Harry says it." He said with a nod. Sirius rolled his eyes and Harry sniggered.

"Knock-knock!" Harry blinked in shock as a flood of men in suits and ties stood in the doorway bearing baskets of fruit and balloons.

"And they wonder why we call them crazy." Sirius said shaking his head. The men spilled into the room and Harry was very quickly drawn into the rush of people laughter and smiles making him feel safe for the first time in a long while.

$%^$%^$%^$%^$%^

Harry sighed in slight annoyance as L's limo pulled up in front of the hospital.

"I see you replaced the door." Harry said with a slight smirk. L frowned at it.

"I would have left it but Watari said that it is not legal to do so in this country." He said with a shrug before reaching out and hesitantly tugging on Harry's arm.

"No hang on L, just where do you think your taking my godson?" Sirius said cocking his head to the side. L blinked up at him.

"You're coming too." He said hesitantly.

"What L means to say is that until the danger is passed he would like the two of you to stay at our hotel." Watari said opening the door. "Oh, and Mister Potter please refrain from tearing this door off." He said with a stern nod. Harry smiled sheepishly and L glared before tugging Harry into the car with him. Sirius shook his head slowly and climbed in with them.

"You know, I'm more than capable of taking care of my godson." He said with a slight twitch as he slipped into an empty seat. L looked up at him as the door shut and Watari got into the drivers seat.

"I am well aware of your fortune." L said with a short nod. Harry frowned.

"Fortune?" He said cocking his head to the side. Sirius smirked.

"An just under a year the dead man has managed to amass a rather sizable fortune through stocks on trading- rather ingenious actually." He said pulling out his laptop. "He is now the tenth richest man in the world." He added. Harry's jaw went slack before his eyes narrowed.

"Sirius?" he said chiding. Sirius grinned rakishly.

"I might have cheated a bit." He admitted. L blinked owlishly at him.

"How?" he asked. Harry sighed.

"You don't even want to know." He said shaking his head slightly. L frowned.

"Yes I do." L said annoyed. Sirius snorted.

"When Harry and I were dropped into this world the year was two-thousand, twenty-two in our time." Sirius said making L's eyes widen.

"So you aren't vampires or zombies but you are from another dimension entirely?" L said cocking his head to the side. Sirius frowned.

"Vampires?" He said turning to Harry.

"Ability to regenerate and telekinetic powers." Harry said with a shrug.

"Zombie?" He said cocking his head to the side.

"You were dead and now you aren't." Harry said with a sigh. Sirius turned his gaze back to L and nodded slowly.

"Riiiiight." He said slowly. L scowled.

"You're from another dimension." He quipped. Sirius winced.

"Point taken." He said with a nod.

"I could never just be normal could I?" Harry said with a sigh. Sirius snorted.

"But that doesn't explain how the zombie has managed to make a fortune." L said tilting his head to the side.

"Zombie?" Sirius said with a slight twitch. Harry sighed.

"Some things like muggle economy stayed the same in this world and ours." He tried. L frowned.

"Muggle." He said blankly.

"Non magic folk." Sirius said automatically. L's eyes got wider and Harry winced.

"Any waaay." He said looking out the window. "Where are we going?" Harry asked trying to change the topic.

"Harry, the zombie man gave me a headache." L said wincing. Harry snorted.

#$%#$%#$%#$%

Harry panted softly still half asleep as lips trailed across his shoulder gently and fingers wrapped around him. He arched and let out a whine when the fingers tightened. "Harry should refrain from saying that man's name when he sleeps." L whispered into his ear. Harry jerked as fingers tweaked a nipple and shuddered as he was drawn into a long slow kiss.

"L!" Harry gasped his legs falling apart further. L grinned against his neck and bit down on the sensitive flesh.

"Say it again?" He whispered his fingers tracing the sensitive skin inside his thighs.

"L…" Harry moaned softly his fingers winding into dark hair. Lips trailed down his chest and fingers pressed past the seam of his mouth.

"I'll make you forget." L promised quietly against his skin before nipping the area around his navel. Harry gasped and writhed as lips paused and dark eyes became even darker. Slowly L lifted himself and released him to trace the long crisscross of scars that marred his chest.

"I'll make you forget everything." L swore before pulling his fingers from Harry's mouth and replacing them with his lips. Harry shivered and twitched restlessly as damp skin pressed insistently against his entrance until one slipped in causing him to arch and gasp in shock and pleasure-

_Brrrrriiiiiinnng!_

_Brrrrriiiiiinnng!_

Harry blinked slowly at the sound and L sighed slightly against his lips. "The fire alarms." He said his lips slipping into a smile. Harry flushed brightly.

"Oh for fucks sake-! HARRY!" Sirius' voice carried through the wall causing Harry to burst into fits of embarrassed laughter. L stared at him in shock for a moment before smiling slightly.

"Harry laughed." He said proudly causing Harry to snort and shake his head as Sirius' fists pounded on the door.


	8. Chapter 8

**As promised I will be posting a new chapter each day! Hope you enjoy!  
**

**Mistress Slytherin  
**

**General warnings apply,  
**

**Homosexual relationship**

**Blood  
**

**Mature themes  
**

**And I do not claim any of these characters or themes!  
**

**Happy reading!  
**

-8-

Harry cocked his head to the side. "Huh?" He said dumbly. Sirius grinned.

"I said put down your back pack Harry." He said lifting his chin. "You are officially being home schooled." Harry's eyes brightened and a grin spread across his lips.

"Really?" he said hopefully.

"Really." Sirius assured.

Harry sagged slightly. "I don't have to endure being groped by randy teenagers!" He said causing Sirius to snort and choke on his coffee. "There's no more pointless repetitive homework or mindless gossip? No more halls that smell like weed and old gym socks?" He said dreamily.

"You were being groped?" L said narrowing his eyes slightly. Harry nodded in painful remembrance.

"Merlin they were such bad kissers too…" He bemoaned. Sirius let out a loud round of laughter and Watari cleared his throat delicately.

"Kiss?" L said his eyebrow twitching.

"I mean seriously Sirius I was about to kill someone! If one more girl pressed her prepubescent self against me- oomph!" Harry blinked rapidly as warm lips claimed his.

"Ahem." Watari said blushing slightly. L pulled away his eyes glittering darkly and Sirius was struggling to hide his laughter behind his hand.

"Harry will not be going outside without me, Watari or zombie man from now on." He declared lifting his chin. Sirius gave in and burst into peals of laughter clutching his sides as Harry blinked after L who had returned to his seat and was calmly sipping at his tea.

"Wha-?" He said blankly. Sirius snorted.

"You lover is jealous Harry, Merlin you're just as daft as your father was when it comes to matters of the heart." He said shaking his head. Harry blinked slowly.

"Jealous?" He said slowly. "Lover" He said curiously. A slow warmth spread across his chest and Harry gripped it in confusion. "Huh?" He said blankly looking at Sirius for help. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"You'll figure it out Harry, don't worry." He said smirking into his coffee. Harry nodded slowly.

"I think I'll go to the library-"

"Watari." L said absently.

"You won't found the answers there Harry." Sirius said amused. Harry scowled.

"Then where?" He said cocking his head to the side. Sirius sighed and stood draining the rest of his coffee.

"Here." He said pointing to Harry's chest.

"Huh?" Harry said in confusion. Sirius shook his head.

"Give it time Harry you'll figure it out." He said with an absent wave of his hand. Harry wrinkled his nose in confusion.

"Harry is oddly endearing when he does that." L said cocking his head to the side. Harry huffed slightly. "That too." L said with a wise nod. "Are you still going to the library?" He asked cocking his head to the side. Harry sighed.

"No, I think I'll just eat." He said shaking his head.

"A wise decision Mister Potter." Watari said with an amused smile that reminded him of Dumbledore. "One cannot ponder the mysteries of the world on an empty stomach." He said setting a bowl of fruit down in front of him.

#$#$#$#$#$

"Backyard Bottomslash" One of the agents said shaking his head. "What a name." He added before taking a picture. Harry nodded slowly.

"Found her leg!" One of the agents said from the bathroom. Harry looked at the woman who was severely bruised and battered missing an arm and a leg.

"What are your thoughts Harry?" The mechanical voice said from the computer. Harry knelt down closer to the body and examined it with a critical eye.

"It's a woman." He said frowning. "The last one was a woman too- could it be that he's targeting women now?" He said tilting his head to the side.

"Probably" L said through the speakers. "It looks like he's still curious by the way- he was experimenting with her." L said softly. Harry nodded

"…you can't stop it; you see blood on your hands when they're clean, you hear their screams in the silence. Their faces haunt your every waking moment and you cling to your last shred of sanity hoping that maybe someday you'll get lucky- that it'll be your turn to die." He said softly. There was a long silence before L spoke.

"I have not heard that quote before." He said grudgingly. Harry shook his head.

"It's not a quote- its something I said to him that night." He said softly. The others froze and looked at him in stunned silence. "He wants us to find him." Harry said quietly.

"Watari?" L said breaking the silence.

"Understood." Watari said before closing the laptop. "Mister Potter?" He said with a slight bow. Harry nodded looking at the body for a long moment before following the man to the car.

"Watari?" Harry said his hand settled over his heart.

"Hmmm?" the man said glancing back at him in the rearview mirror.

"What do you think Sirius meant?" Harry said frowning slightly.

"I might not be the best person to help you Mister Potter." Watari said with a slight smile. "But I will ask you this; what did it feel like when you realized that you were in love with Snape?" He asked curiously. Harry's face fell and his eyes darkened.

"It hurt." He said swallowing thickly. "Because he was already gone." Watari nodded.

"And how would you have felt had he lived and returned your love?" he said gently. Harry's breath caught in his throat.

"I used to imagine it sometimes." Harry said his eyes glittering with unshed tears. "That he would look at me the way he looked at her- that he would protect and care for me as fiercely as he would have her. But it just hurts now." He said sadly.

"But those feelings those dreams of what could have been- they were once sweet weren't they?" Watari said carefully. Harry nodded. "You once said something that struck me Mister Potter, you said that 'When you look into the eyes of death you learn just how precious life is.' Do you still think that this is true?" He asked. Harry nodded slowly.

"Yes." Watari smiled.

"Then Mister Potter, why don't you start living again?" He said easily. Harry frowned musing on the man's words.

"What would Snape do?" He said softly a thin smile on his lips. "He would yell at me and tell me to stop wallowing in self pity." He said with a snort.

"If he is as great a man as you seem to believe- then he would want you to love again Mister Potter." Watari said softly. Harry's face twisted slightly in confusion.

"Love…again?" Suddenly the car swerved and Watari cursed twisting and turning the wheel. Harry gripped his seatbelt tightly just in time for the sound of crunching metal to fill the air jerking the limo- and then another wrenching sound on the other side- and then another- and then they were spinning and the seatbelt tightened around him and blackness stole his consciousness.

"Hey"

A voice cut through the darkness and Harry groaned as his ribs loudly shifted and clicked back into position. The smell of smoke filled the air and his mouth tasted like blood. Vaguely he remembered the car jerking and turning-

"Wha-" Pain ripped through him. His whole body hurt and felt badly mangled. Had they been in a car crash?

"Don't try to talk, your jaw was broken." Harry blinked dizzily and let out a muffled moan as pain raked through him.

"Would you like a sedative?" Harry groaned and winced as he felt the tell-tale sting of a needle. Blearily he looked up to thank the voice and met red eyes.

"Oh f-" Sleep stole him before he could comprehend what he'd been about to say.

When he woke up the second time the pain was stale and manageable. He struggled to remember why he was in pain but something wet and blessedly cool brushed across his hot skin distracting him. "I've never washed blood off a person before." Came the idle voice. Harry frowned and glanced at the red-eyed teen.

"You?" he said in confusion. The boy, who looked very much like L grinned slightly.

"You can call me B." He said with a nod. "I rigged the limo while Whammy was at the crime scene- oh don't worry he'll be alright he just has a broken arm, L will take care of it." B said conversationally. Harry frowned. Whammy? Was that-Watari? He blinked slowly. Rigged the limo- the events of the crash rushed through him like a bullet.

"I had no other way to get to you since L is being selfish; I suppose he never did learn to share properly." B said dropping the pink cloth into a bowl of equally pink water. "Would you like something to drink?" He said cocking his head to the side innocently. Harry swallowed thickly.

"No thank you." He said smiling slightly though he was sure it looked as pained as it felt.

"Anyway I decided that you are going to stay with me." B said cheerfully before hesitantly with all the curiosity of a child settling his hand on Harry's forehead. Harry blinked slowly at the announcement.

"Oh?" He said calmly. "And why is that?" He said fishing for answers. B smiled in the same slow and slightly creepy way that L did at times only B's eyes glittered in a strange way.

"Because I decided I like you!" He said. "But you should probably sleep now, even if you're injuries have been healed your body has been through a lot of stress." He said a vaguely concerned look on his face as he bent down and retrieved a syringe.

"I don't need the sedative." Harry said quickly. B blinked down at him and grinned slightly.

"But you do, it will keep you from moving too much while you sleep." He said before jabbing his arm roughly and injecting him before watching with fascination as the wound slowly closed. Slowly he raised his head and grinned at Harry. "Good night Harry sleep tight! I'll take care of you!" B said before sweeping down and capturing his lips in a surprise kiss. Harry's eyes widened and shock filled him- but everything else, the lust, the strange need that he found when L kissed him was absent. His eyes drifted shut as the drugs took effect and his mind drifted over the possibilities.

#$#$#$#$#

L stared at the screen eyes narrowed jaw set, his fingers flashing across the keyboard. He had camera's set up in the limo and one of them had captured the face of Harry's kidnapper- a face wearing a fond and slightly obsessive expression- towards his Harry. He grit his teeth remembering the markings all over Harry's chest the last time B had visited him.

This meant war.

If it was L's attention B was seeking, he most certainly had it now.

The question was now; could B handle the L's complete and undivided focus?

#$#$#$#$#$

Warm lips were pressed against his when he woke. For a moment he almost believed that he was back at the hotel and that L had snuck into his room again. But the lips were warm- L's lips were hot. Their caress was gentle- L's was claiming, scorching, _burning._ He gasped loudly his eyes shooting open. Red eyes met his lazily and the lips slowly pulled away.

"You were having nightmares." He said softly. "You were screaming 'no' and calling out for a 'Ron and a Hermione' you also caused the wall over there to collapse." B said pointing to said wall which was now a pile of rubble. Harry nodded slowly and B grinned before darting off and returning a moment later with a cup sporting a bendy straw.

"I didn't know what you would like to drink- I like strawberry milk personally but I didn't know if you were lactose sooo I got you water for now." B said holding out the cup. Harry nodded and carefully sat up noting that his muscles didn't ache at all like they should be- in fact, nothing hurt at all. Hesitantly he took the straw and sipped at the water causing B to beam at him with a smile that was slightly off.

"You don't have to force yourself." Harry said his own smile absent. B's smile fell and he nodded.

"I read that people think of you as less of a threat if you smile." He said shrugging. "I didn't want you to think of me as a threat." Harry nodded.

"You can't kill me so why would you be a threat to me." He said easily. "Just be yourself." He said with a shrug. B looked at him for a long while in concentration.

"How do I do that?" He asked looking annoyed at having to ask. Harry smiled this time a real smile albeit small.

"React the way you want to react." B looked thoughtful for a long moment before nodding slowly.

"Hold me?" He said reminding Harry of the first time they'd met. Sighing slightly he held out his arms.

"Try not to stab me this time alright?" He said as the small body curled into his.

"I won't- I don't want to hurt you now, I've never had a person that I didn't want to hurt." He said inhaling deeply his body relaxing. "You smell good, and you're warm." He said pressing his cheek against the fabric of Harry's shirt. Harry smiled thinly.

"Do you like being held?" He murmured. He caught himself wondering what it would be like to hold L like this- to simply bask in it the way B was right now.

"Only if it's you, I don't like it when other people touch me." B said wrinkling his nose. Harry nodded noticing for the first time the subtle differences between B and L. B's face was slightly longer, and his jaw firmer, he was also slightly shorter than L but only by an inch or so.

"How long have I been here?" He asked curiously. B sighed slightly.

"Three days." He said with a huff. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Why do you sound annoyed?" he questioned. B pulled back a bit a pout on his lips.

"L will find us in about an hour." He said annoyed. "I've already had to change locations three times. I didn't think he would go this far so I didn't plan this far ahead." He said shaking his head. Harry nodded; he'd figured that Sirius wouldn't allow L to rest until he was found. "I won't get to spend time with you." B said with a pout.

"B…" Harry said softly. "Was it you that killed those people?" He asked calmly. B looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Yes." He said easily.

"Why?" Harry asked tiredly. B tilted his head to the side.

"Secret!" He said with a smile. Harry snorted.

"You know that I was assigned to the team that's supposed to capture you right?" He said cocking his head to the side. B nodded a small frown on his face.

"I don't want to fight you!" he said annoyed. Harry nodded.

"Then give yourself up." He said with a shrug. B turned his eyes away and glared.

"They'll put me in jail." He said before his gaze turned suspicious. "You don't want to fight me but you will capture me because you have to, because I killed those people." Harry nodded.

"I have to B." He said grimly. B nodded before smiling sadly.

"I knew you would say that." He said nodding to himself. "I gave you a shot before you woke up a special mix of my own that is time sensitive." Harry's eyes widened. He tried to lift up his hand only to realize that he couldn't. He looked at B sadly.

"Please don't kill any one else?" He begged. In another time he would have fought a lot more than he was, but his days on field duty were long over. B nodded and pressed a lingering kiss to his forehead. Harry blinked slowly as the drugs fogged his mind. He was getting too old for this kind of stuff he decided absently.

Maybe he should do something akin to what L did and solve cases- he could almost imagine sitting with the boy trading ideas back and forth-

_Bang!_

_Crash!_

Footsteps pounded against the ground and reverberated in his mind.

"He's in here!" someone shouted from beside him. He strained to focus on the blurry figure and the words SWAT Team came to mind before fading. "He's been dosed with something I need a medic now!" The man shouted. Harry tried in vain to focus as the lights and colors began to swirl.

"He's seizing!"

"Hold him down!"

"What the-"

_Crash!_

"An explosion!"

"Let's get out-"

Harry's mind drifted into oblivion through the sounds of crumbling walls and panicked shouts.


	9. Chapter 9

**Ok so you will all have to forgive me after re-reading this chapter I decided that I didn't like it- but still I will post it. I was supposed to post this yesterday however it's been project hell in my world so I hope you will all forgive me. Even for a multitasking Queen like myself I've had waaay too much on my plate as of late- ha that rhymed! At any rate know that while I have begun the second book for this series I will have to take some time off from it to get all the other crap that I have to do done first so expect it maybe (and I mean Maybe!) in a month or so- if not I have an entire four days at the end of July in which I will be house sitting for someone I plan to spend the entirety of that time catching up my archives. Hope you enjoy! Oh and this is the last chapter for book one!  
**

**Mistress Slytherin  
**

**General warnings apply,  
**

**Homosexual relationship**

**Blood  
**

**Mature themes  
**

**And I do not claim any of these characters or themes!  
**

**Happy reading!  
**

-9-

Harry's eyes cracked open slowly and he groaned. "Briiiiight" he rasped lifting an arm to cover his eyes. "Harry!" Sirius' voice echoed painfully in his head.

"He probably has a migraine Zombie man, it would be best not to antagonize him." L said his voice low and soothing against Harry's frayed noise. He sighed as the light faded and he could crack his eyes open once more. L's face was suddenly directly in front of him, yet it didn't surprise him as much as it should have.

"L" He said smiling slightly.

"I asked the nurses and they told me that there was no sexual intercourse or injuries of any kind that weren't related to the accident but it doesn't follow B's previous patterns." L said with a frown.

"Come on L he just woke up!" Sirius said annoyed. Harry sighed.

"I did not have sex with him and he told me that he didn't want to hurt me L." He said dryly.

"I gathered that you didn't have sex with him because there were no fires- why wouldn't he want to hurt you?" He said thoughtfully.

"The fires only happen when I'm around you." Harry said accepting the glass of water Sirius handed him and pushing the button on the bed to make him rise to a sitting position. L was blinking at him slowly.

"B does not arouse you?" he said tipping his head to the side. "He is nearly identical to me." He added in slight annoyance.

"But B is not _you._" Harry said sighing in relief as the cool water soothed his sore throat. Sirius sniggered.

"I've never seen L blush before." He said teasingly. A deeper chuckle from behind them alerted Harry to Watari's presence. Harry smiled slightly and snorted at the slow creepy smile that crossed L's lips.

"I think I have developed a crush on Harry." L said his face falling suddenly into a thoughtful expression. Harry was the one to flush this time and Sirius cracked up.

"What was your first clue? Merlin you two are dense!" he snorted. Harry eyed L for a moment. What did he feel for L? A sexual draw most assuredly, fondness towards things that would normally annoy him- respect for L's mind…he smiled slightly. He felt the way he did in fifth year when he realized that he didn't exactly _hate_ Snape but rather grudgingly appreciated him.

"I think…I have developed a crush on L…" He said just as thoughtfully. Sirius paused, quirked an eyebrow at him and simply shook his head.

"Ok I get it with this guy, he's like a total social reject-but _you_ Harry?" He said incredulously. Watari chuckled.

"I think that Mister Potter here has never examined or thought of love outside of his first love mister Snape." He said calmly. Harry winced as Sirius' jaw went slack.

"Snape." He said tone clipped. Harry nodded slowly. "As in Snivvelous Snape?" Harry scowled and crossed his arms.

"Don't call him that! He nearly died for me on many occasions and-"

"He was in love with your mum!" Sirius said wrinkling his nose. "He was an ugly snot nose bastard- oomph!" Sirius flew across the room into the wall.

"And you were an incorrigible prat that set a werewolf on him!" Harry sneered. "You have no idea how much Severus Snape sacrificed during the war! And what did he get for it? Every one's hatred and disgust! Don't you _dare_ talk about him like that when _he _was there for me and _you _weren't!" The glass shattered from the window and Harry flinched at the same time that the light in Sirius' eyes died. Harry pursed his lips and choked slightly as the tears formed and fell before he could stop them. "I didn't mean that…" he sobbed burying his face in his hands.

"Harry?" L said hesitantly setting a hand on his head. Harry let out a sob.

"Hold me?" He begged quietly without lifting his head. There was a tense moment before he felt the bed shift.

"Scoot forward." L said quietly. Harry did as he was told and L settled behind him wrapping his arms around him in a tight embrace. "Better?" L said hesitantly. Harry nodded and leaned closer.

"I'd forgotten what it was like." Harry said softly his body trembling.

"What?" L said quietly.

"To be the one being held instead of the one holding everything together." Harry said his chest tight. L sighed softly and settled his chin atop of Harry's head.

"Silly Harry Potter." He said sounding amused. "This is my world and in my world L is the one that holds everything together- including silly vampire boys from other realms." He said tightening his grip. Harry chuckled slightly and L moved to push the call button.

"You were right Harry." Sirius said quietly. Harry lifted his face slowly feeling ashamed of himself. "I was always a useless godfather wasn't I?" Sirius said in a self depreciating way. Harry opened his mouth but L beat him to it.

"You're silly too zombie man, Harry didn't smile until you came back, he didn't laugh or cry much either- he was just sad. You help Harry in a way that no one else can- even if it makes me jealous sometimes." He muttered into Harry's hair. Harry snorted.

"He's right Sirius." Harry said smiling sheepishly. Sirius looked at him for a long moment before nodding.

"Goodness gracious what happened in here!" The nurse said as she stepped through the door and surveyed the damage.

"It just exploded mam." Harry said shrinking back into L's chest. "Scared us all!" He said shaking his head, the very picture of innocence.

"Perhaps a solar flare?" L said shaking his head. "Or a UFO?" He said with wide eyes.

"UFO?" Sirius said incredulously.

"What was that Zombie man?" he said pretending that he was deaf. Sirius snorted.

"Point taken."

#$#$#$#$#$

Harry rose his eyebrows in shock as the TV announcer spoke. "They caught B." He said faintly. L who was sitting beside him lifted his head momentarily.

"Ah yes, he was captured just an hour after we retrieved you." He said before returning his gaze to the laptop. Harry twitched slightly.

"And no one thought to let me know?" He said struggling to reign in his temper. L lifted his head as the pitcher on the side table trembled.

"B is unimportant to Harry Potter now." He said lifting his chin. Harry looked into glittering eyes for a long moment before letting out a sigh.

"How so?" He said rubbing his temples. "Something tells me that you are going to do that thing where you tell me what I'm going to do next." L's eyes widened slightly.

"Do you have precognitive abilities too?" He asked tilting his head to the side. Harry smiled thinly.

"No, its just intuition." He said with a shrug. L nodded slowly and closed his laptop.

"The first time I heard of you was not in the FBI building the day the case was given to us. I was informed that there was a person that fell out of the sky mere moments after it happened. After that I watched you, and tested you. The tests you were given were not run of the mill academic tests. They were tests designed specifically for those with above average intelligence- you passed them with flying colors. But I still had to test your abilities on field duty before I could accurately place you." Harry nodded slowly.

"I thought the whole transfer student thing was a bit fishy- that was your way of testing me personally hmmm?" He said smiling slightly. L smirked.

"I knew that you would pick up on that." He said placing his laptop on the table so that he could curl his legs under his chin. "Once you are released today you will be taken directly to a special school." Harry wrinkled his nose and L smiled thinly. "It is not like normal schools at all, in fact this school is the one B and I attended as children, it is essentially a school with a curriculum designed for geniuses." Harry nodded slowly and looked up as a knock sounded on the door. Watari gave Harry a slight bow.

"The car is ready." He said easily. Harry frowned.

"What about Sirius?" He said feeling suddenly wary. Watari and L shared a glance.

"Zombie man has agreed to allow you to attend our school." L said into his kneecaps. Harry's expression fell.

"Wh-Where is Sirius?" He asked looking at Watari.

"Your case is a special one Mister Potter, normally we only accept orphans however, in your case the schedule will work like a boarding school." Watari said looking away.

"Zombie man told me to tell you that it will be just like going to a place called Hog warts though I don't know why any one would refer to a place as being like the blemishes of a pig…" L said drifting off in thought. Harry nodded slowly in sudden understanding.

"He's gone isn't he?" he said softly. The two men traded looks before nodding.

"I fear that your words the other day had a greater effect on Mister Black than he was willing to admit." Watari said with a slow nod. "Perhaps he simply needs time?" He suggested. Harry's face was empty though and his fists had relaxed.

"L." He said softly. "Hold me?" He said his voice trembling. L stood and leaned over the bed wrapping his arms around him.

"If he does not visit you within a month I will have my men pick him up and bring him to you." L assured into his shoulder. Harry tried to laugh but it came out as a hiccup.

"No…after all he needs his freedom. He's been locked up for most of his life, who am I to tie him down now that he's free?" He said with a slight shrug.

"He will come back Mister Potter." Watari assured quietly. "He made you a promise didn't he?" Harry nodded.

"Until the end." He said softly.

"Then we must simply wait for him." Watari said with a small smile. Harry nodded.

"Thank you." He said softly.

"Silly Harry, there is no thanks needed." L said softly. Harry smiled and Watari's eyes twinkled slightly.

He'd looked into deaths cold hard eyes, and life…

Life was truly precious.


End file.
